1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a suture which when in use in the human body is adapted to form ligamentous tissue.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Sutures formed of various types of plastic material are known in the art. Some of these are designed to remain inert when in use in the body and others are adapted to be absorbed by the body, thereby eliminating the necessity for their physical removal. None of these sutures performs any function or produces any result beyond the physical holding action of a conventional suture. All presently known sutures act merely to hold the tissues together until conventional healing takes place.
Tubes formed of loosely woven or expanded plastic materials such as Dacron and polytetrafluoroethylene have been used as vascular graft loops. It has been noted that the loops, which are substantially porous, have become ingrown with fibrous tissue, some of which is ligamentous in nature. Such vascular prostheses are shown and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,306,557 to Polansky and 3,316,557 to Liebig. These loops also occasionally been used to physically tie down dislocated bones, such as in the shoulder area.
There is presently no suture which has the ability to form ligamentous tissue after its emplacement in the body.